Takari: Yasashii Ame
by Lilac Lenalee
Summary: Based of the amazing story Paparazzi by flipstahhz -plz read A/N-, this Takari oneshot takes place right after Taichi breaks the news to Hikari that Takeru has left without saying farewell.


A/N: This Takari oneshot is based off and inspired by the amazing story **Paparazzi** by _flipstahhz_ (if you haven't read it go search it on , SERIOUSLY!!), and takes place in the past when Hikari first discovers through Tai that Takeru had left her without even saying good-bye. Also inspired by her song **Yasashii Ame** (lol hence the title!). Please please enjoy, this was a greatly needed emotional release for me and I'm not very happy (at all) with how it turned out (which is why it might be deleted soon), but nevertheless enjoy :)

The reason why I chose to do this was because this Takari story inspired me so deeply and moved me so much, that I just couldn't express my feelings of adoration enough, so I hope this helps prove how much I loved the story.

Dedicated to _flipstahhz_, even if she'll never see this.

* * *

The swollen grey sky cried fitfully, rain drops blotting the darkening pavement like liquid bombs of star shine as it silently grieved. Even the moon's luminous face wept behind the misty mask of rain, it's relentless pitter pattering animating the night's dismal atmosphere. One lonesome soul fell prey to the heaven's tears, however, as she scuffed her way miserably to an unknown destination.

Hikari Kamiya had loved the rain. She had always liked to imagine that it was heaven's way of watering the earth, refreshing it anew so that mankind could flower and blossom beneath it's nurturing care. But suddenly, the rain seemed very cold and depressing, each drop that splattered across her face making her heart ache just a little more intensely.

He hadn't even said good-bye. She had only known him since she could first walk, since the first time she had photographed a picture, since the first time she could comprehend more than just happy and sad feelings. He had always coaxed her out on days like this, made the rain seem like a naturally occurring water park that was reserved solely for their naïve, childish eyes. Takeru Takaishi had been, without a doubt, her best friend.

Hikari slumped down onto a damp bench, the rain layering it in a glossy film. A puddle lay innocently before her feet, tiny drops of rain sending rings echoing across its reflective surface. Hikari knew that if she were to look in it's depths, staring back at her would be a lost, broken little girl with a soul of useless memories. Before, that girl used to eagerly slosh through the puddles, recklessly pushing her best friend into more puddle traps as she frolicked down the water-soaked streets by his side. She tapped the puddle absently, cracking its complexion till it resembled a busted mirror. Maybe now she'd have seven years of bad luck to add to her already fucked up conscience.

Usually, when Hikari felt this depressed, she'd pick up the phone and call Takeru. Just the healing sound of his smooth, cheery voice could make the sun rise in her heart, and then, when he came to hang out with her, a shimmering rainbow seemed to connect the two in a world of bountiless bliss that was capable of erasing all evil energy from the mind. Hikari used to think Takeru's aura was like a mobile ray of sunshine, always lighting the filament of light within her when times got dark. But this time the thought of his sweet smile was making her shake with misery.

"Stupid, Takeru."

The rain responded with the same monotonous ping. Hikari could feel her face beginning to tremble, her eyes becoming sore as tears tried to pass their ocular barrier. She bit her lip in desperate protest; he wasn't worth her tears.

_Cry now and you'll have makeup all over your face._

Startled, Hikari turned to her left and found a transparent Takeru seated next to her. Instinctively she wanted to embrace him and cry openly into his chest, but she knew that that would only drive her into further isolation.

"I'm not crying."

_I never said you were. But I can _always_ tell when Hikari Kamiya is in a shitty mood._

Hikari let out a slow, measured sigh. Takeru knew her so well. Or maybe she knew him better then he deserved. Instead of holding back tears her body was now channeling all it's strength into producing raw anger, and it emanated off Hikari in venomous waves.

"We were supposed to graduate together," she hissed, her words thrown at the imaginary Takeru like raging balls of fire. The thought stun her eyes shut, causing boiling hot tears to accumulate at their rims until finally, her emotional dam gave in; Hikari exploded into an uncontrollable monsoon of tears. Her lips quivered. "We were supposed to graduate together, Takeru."

Without any warning Hikari stood up from her seat with a vicious thrust, immediately striding with anger-fueled speed towards a drippy cobweb of mesh in the distance. She slammed her body against the chain link fence, fingers twisting for a grip around it's slippery skeleton as it let out a harsh metallic squeal from her weight being thrown at it. Tears were free-falling down her face, shimmying to their deaths as they smacked the gravel ground with a hiss. Hikari's uneven sobs rang through the damp air, dripping with enough melancholy to be considered personal death knolls.

As the fence slowed it's shivering, a drenched, totally deserted basketball court dawned before Hikari's eyes. Rain drops were bouncing off it's surface like miniature basketballs, and an isolated row of bleachers leered in cold isolation beside its perimeter. Hikari took a big gulp, one that was tainted with an unbalancing mixture of nostalgia. But the nostalgia quickly gave way to anger as Hikari drearily realized her friendship had been replaced by the glamorous court that stood before her. She smacked the wiry gate with a yowl, disturbing all the peaceful raindrops that had been clinging to its metal support with adhesive relief mere moments before.

"You could've told me."

The tears were coming back with a vengeance. Hikari's face was becoming stuffy forcing them back, until they began cascading down her face for the second time that night. The rain gently merged with her own stream of trickling tears, and her dripping wet hair was plastered to the sides of her face like melted chocolate as she let out a shaky breath. She felt so alone. Abandoned. Worthless. Best friends didn't do that to each other. They didn't just take your heart, smash it to pieces, and then walk away expecting you to pick it all up and put it back together again. They didn't fucking do that.

"You're arrogant, you know that?" Hikari sneered. Her angry persona became diluted as she heaved for air through her sobbing.

_I still care about you more than anything, Kari._

"No you don't!" she screamed it so loudly even the screen of rain seemed to quiver with fear. "How _dare_ you even suggest such a thing when you didn't even-"

Emotions flooded through Hikari like a tsunami, paralyzing her speech and senses till she was forced to hunch over. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut, droplets of rain gluing her eyelashes snuggly against her face, and her lips trembled with an unstoppable rhythm. This was all Takeru Takaishi's fault. Now, all because of him, Hikari Kamiya was standing in the middle of a rainstorm, on the verge of having an emotional breakdown, and trying her all out best to cure the malignant heartache throbbing within her chest.

_Hikari?_

"You didn't even . . . you, d-d-didn't, even . . ." she choked violently on her words, their sharp intentions slicing her throat till her voice shook with crippled pain. Hungrily she gasped for air, tear drops hanging off her nose and cheeks like dew drops weighed down by sadness.

"You d-didn't, even . . . s-s-say good-bye."

Hikari took a massive gulp; a nauseating wave of depression suffocated her senses, causing her to stumble helplessly across the rain scarred sidewalk. Her face was sore from crying so intensely, her vision now a watery blur and her voice a husky grumble. But none of that mattered to her at the moment. None of it was even relevant in her mind as the last remnant of hope, the last happy memory of Takeru Takaishi, slipped away into a world of forgotten oblivion.

Just as Hikari was about to run away from her childhood memories, a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist and opposed her fleeting action.

"Let me go!" Hikari wailed, tears flying from her face as she kicked and twisted in the person's unwavering grasp.

"It's time to go home now, Hikari. Mom's getting worried about you-"

"He didn't even say good-bye!" her words ended in body wrenching sobs as Taichi desperately tried to get a secure hold on his distraught baby sister. "Stupid Takeru. Stupid, _stupid_ Takeru!"

Vainly Taichi tried to hush the wailing Hikari, but she continued to struggle against his grip as he dragged her back home.

"It's not worth getting sick over, Hikari."

"Takeru," Hikari whispered, the rain gently soothing her red, puffy face. "Obviously I'm just not worth enough to you . . . for you to say good-bye."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading, comments/faves are **greatly** appreciated, and thanks a million to _Light-of-Hope-07_, _Dr. William Bell_, and _Ris Fallon _for reviewing my Xmas oneshot! Seriously, your guys' reviews made my day! :D


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